June 9, 2009 – A drink of alcohol a few times a week can’t hurt, many Canadians believe. Perhaps, except that sipping wine, beer or spirits three or four times a week would increase the chances of consuming beyond a healthy limit, reveal researchers at the University of Montreal and the University Western ontario1.
The research team analyzed the data2 collected from 10,466 Canadian drinkers (5,743 women and 4,723 men). They found that occasional drinkers – who drink alcohol less than once a week on average – rarely drink more than two drinks at the same time. On the other hand, those who drink alcohol several times a week are at risk of exceeding the recommended limit of four drinks on a single occasion.
Among those aged 50 and over, the age at which the health effects of moderate alcohol consumption can be enjoyed, those who drank 5-7 times per week were twice as likely as occasional drinkers to drink more five glasses of alcohol on the same day.
“Regular alcohol consumption increases tolerance,” explains Catherine Paradis, doctoral student at the University of Montreal and co-author of the study. “Those who drink every day need to consume more than a drink or two to experience a feeling of celebration. It increases the risk of overuse, at least sporadically and maybe even every week. “
The young researcher emphasizes that there is no universal conception of what constitutes moderate consumption. The concept varies between cultures and according to gender, age, socio-economic status and tolerance. “Knowing that regular alcohol consumption increases the risk of abuse, the guidelines should take this aspect of consumption into account,” she said.
According to public health authorities, in Quebec, moderate consumption is nine drinks per week for women, and 14 for men; and no more than two drinks per day.
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Dominique Forget – PasseportSanté.net
1.Paradis C, Demers A et al. The importance of drinking frequency in evaluating individuals drinking patterns: implications for the development of national drinking guidelines, Addiction. May 11, 2009 ..
2. The researchers used data collected as part of the GENACIS Canada project: an international study “investigating how social and cultural variations can influence the drinking habits of men and women”.
